Definition: A magnetar is a type of neutron star which possesses an intense magnetic field, often in the range of 10 gigateslas - quadrillions of times more powerful than the magnetic field around the Earth and millions of times more powerful than any man-made magnets. As the magnetic field decays, it emits high intensity electromagnetic radiation in the form of x-rays and gamma rays.
The first recorded bursts believed to come from a magnetar was observed in 1979. The primary theory of magnetar operation was presented in 1992 by Robert Duncan and Christopher Thompson to explain this and other observed phenomena.
In this theory, a star collapsing during a supernova into a neutron star, which already has a potent magnetic field, can increase by converting mechanical energy from the collapse into electromagnetic energy, something called the "dynamo" mechanism which is at work in many electrical generators.
Estimations indicate that approximately 1 in 10 supernova explosions may result in a magnetar.
